Dive Brief:
- Buffalo Wild Wings is positioning itself as the go-to sports bar for watching March Madness basketball with a new campaign, “So Many TVs. Not Enough Eyes.,” per details shared with Marketing Dive.
- Key to the campaign is a 30-second ad starring the chain’s CGI buffalo mascot, Hank, who plays an infomercial spokesperson pitching “B-Dubs Vision Goggles” as the perfect way to watch all of the March Madness games at once. Two 15-second spots accompany the effort.
- Physical goggles will be available for sale via a microsite and a Snapchat Lens will help bring the invention to life starting March 20. The campaign spans broadcast, over-the-top TV, influencers and paid and organic social.
Dive Insight:
Inspire Brands-owned chain Buffalo Wild Wings is angling to be the preferred sports bar for March Madness viewing by touting multiple TV screens as it restaurant locations that can help diners keep up with the basketball tournament action. The restaurant brand has also devised a pair of novelty goggles to respond to an issue it calls Not Enough Eyes Disorder (N.E.E.D.).
The college sports push centers on a spot starring CGI buffalo Hank, who was first introduced in 2023. The mascot begins by asking viewers if they suffer from N.E.E.D. before listing off the disorder’s telltale symptom and introducing the B-Dub’s Vision Goggles as a way to watch every single game at the same time thanks to mirror-vision technology. Alongside the sales pitch are all of the infomercial tropes to be expected, from flashy graphics to far-reaching claims.
The first 15-second spot, “Eyes Wide Open,” follows Hank, sporting the goggles, as he watches the game before locking eyes with another bar-goer also wearing the goggles, causing the mascot to face the reality that the product isn’t as flattering as it is functional. In the second spot, “Patent,” the mascot brags about the Vision Goggles but backs off all of his lofty claims, including his supposedly patented technology.
“So Many TVs. Not Enough Eyes.” was created in partnership with Anomaly, Buffalo Wild Wings’ creative agency of record since 2023. Consumers can purchase their own B-Dubs Vision Goggles for $9.99 at www.bdubsvisiongoggles.com beginning March 17 at 9 a.m. ET. In the meantime, they can check out other potential selling points for the novelty item, including “Reviews I made up to make this seem more legit.” The effort also extends to Snapchat, a move that could help the brand grow loyalty with the younger generation.
The effort from Buffalo Wild Wings represents the latest iteration of “Let’s Go Sports Bar,” its first work from Anomaly. Beyond March Madness, the chain has also looked to cement its status in the football scene, having teamed with Jason Kelce for an ad campaign in August that played on the former Philadelphia Eagles center’s recent retirement and brother Travis Kelce.
